Six years after three-year-old Madeleine McCann vanished from a Portuguese holiday resort, British detectives are set to make a major new televised appeal.

British media report that police will release their first e-fit (electronic facial identification technique) image of a man who is a new suspect in the long-running probe.

New information

After receiving new information from fresh witnesses, the Met police are believed to now be focusing their investigation on a new suspect. It is reported that the man was seen near the apartment where McCanns were staying at the time of Madeleine's disappearance.

Met police detectives will launch the new live appeal on Oct. 14 evening on the BBC's Crimewatch program.

"We've been very pleased with the work of the Metropolitan Police and their review and they've now moved into an investigative phase. We're confident that the appeals will hopefully lead to new information and bring us a step closer to finding Madeleine and those responsible for taking her," said Gerry McCann, Madeleine's father.

Cellphone data analyzed

Earlier this month British police said they were looking at new cellphone data to advance their investigation. They are poring over thousands of phone records from the Portuguese resort town of Praia da Luz.

London police said they had made 31 requests in various countries for information concerning various cell phone records. There are 41 potential suspects, described as 'persons of interest', 15 are British nationals.

'We're optimistic that new pieces will be uncovered that fill in parts of the jigsaw."- Gerry McCann, Madeleine's father

"We're optimistic that new pieces will be uncovered that fill in parts of the jigsaw," said McCann.

Madeleine McCann was three years old when she went missing from her room at the Algarve resort in May 2007 while her parents were dining with friends at a nearby restaurant, leading to a global search.

The Met Police will not comment on the significance of the reported e-fit until after the Crimewatch show has aired. Detectives are believed to be planning a series of appeals in various countries.